Tag Archives: Anxiety

Stress has become increasingly common and can affect any one of us in the course of our studies or work. There are, however, tried and tested techniques to help alleviate the impact of stress and there is a new app that can assist you.

Deep breathing is a powerful stress-relief technique and can be done pretty much anytime and anywhere. It can help to calm your thoughts, focus your mind and take away the pinch of anxiety.

Studies show that anxiety and sleep deprivation are closely linked. Anxiety can certainly cause sleepless nights but insomnia can also lead to a greater risk of developing an anxiety disorder. Getting a regular good night’s sleep goes a long way to help rest the mind as well as the body, giving your brain the chance to use its natural ability to process the worries of the day and keep you happier.

There is a new piece of assistive technology that gives a helping hand towards having a better night’s sleep in the form of the smart phone app, Sleep Time.

Once upon a time there was a high achieving and particularly versatile student called Liam who featured so many times on these pages that I suggested he got his own blog. Liam’s place in dispatches has now been superseded by a member of ALS staff: Jack Atherton’s fame is spreading far and wide, despite him being only three years old.

In September, Jack made both the front and back pages of the Daily Echo Knowledge supplement with an account of the work he does in the ALS unit on what is thought to be the first project of its kind in the country; this in conjunction with Caring Canines. Jack’s therapeutic qualities help anxious students to remain calm and purposeful: ‘he communicates through his body language … he just seems to understand’.

To promote and recognise the work Jack does an event will take place on 24 October at 10am in the Student Hall on Talbot Campus. This will be attended by the Mayors of Poole and Bournemouth along with their wives and other dignitaries. Local MP, Tobias Ellwood, will also be present as will representatives of Caring Canines and a number of students with whom Jack has worked. Staff and students are welcome so pop the date into your diary.